Margarine Tub Boat

This fun recycling craft makes an adorable decoration for a child’s room or even a nursery. If your child loves boats, make this cute margarine tub boat together!

Margarine Tub Boat

The best thing about this nautical craft is you can find all of the supplies at home so there’s no need to go shopping. It’s a fun way to talk to your kids about recycling and also perfect for discussing the sea and transportation. This margarine tub boat is very simple to create, making it a great family project. So grab an empty margarine container and some construction paper and let’s get started!

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Things to Keep in Mind:

Helpful Hints:

Instead of filling with rice, cut a hole in the top and have child use as a coin bank.

Always keep construction paper on hand for fun impromptu projects!

Change up the colors to make this cute boat with your little girl.

Making the boat

Cover the outside of the margarine tub with light blue construction paper using white craft glue. Trim where needed with scissors.

Poke a hole in the center of the sponge using your finger or a pencil. Glue the sponge in the bottom of the margarine tub. Add some glue to the hole in the sponge and insert the wooden dowel.

Making the mast

Trace around the lid onto the white construction paper and cut out.

Use pencil to poke a hole in the center of the plastic lid. Glue the white construction paper circle onto the top of the lid and let dry, then poke a hole through the plastic lid and through the paper.

Divide the rice evenly between the two sandwich bags. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. Place filled bags into the margarine tub for weight.

Carefully insert the dowel into the hole in the lid and slide the lid down and snap in place.

Making the sails

Use the pattern to cut the sails from white construction paper. You will need two sets. Cut a small strip of red paper to fit in between each sail, glue in place and repeat on the other side.

Use the pattern to cut out a white life preserver from the white paper. Cut the alternating pieces from red. Glue the red pieces onto the circle, then use scissors to trim evenly and cut out the center circle. Use a fine tip black marker to write “SS” at the top of the life preserver and then write your child’s name or family name on the bottom half (i.e. SS TIMMY, SS SMITH, etc).

Finishing Up

Line the insides of the sails with glue, put some glue on the dowel as well where your sails will go. Sandwich the sails around the dowel and hold until the glue grabs.

Cover the outside of the margarine tub with light blue construction paper using white craft glue. Trim where needed with scissors.

Poke a hole in the center of the sponge using your finger or a pencil. Glue the sponge in the bottom of the margarine tub. Add some glue to the hole in the sponge and insert the wooden dowel.

Trace around the lid onto the white construction paper and cut out.

Use pencil to poke a hole in the center of the plastic lid. Glue the white construction paper circle onto the top of the lid and let dry, then poke a hole through the plastic lid and through the paper.

Divide the rice evenly between the two sandwich bags. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. Place filled bags into the margarine tub for weight.

Carefully insert the dowel into the hole in the lid and slide the lid down and snap in place.

Use the pattern to cut the sails from white construction paper. You will need two sets. Cut a small strip of red paper to fit in between each sail, glue in place and repeat on the other side.

Use the pattern to cut out a white life preserver from the white paper. Cut the alternating pieces from red. Glue the red pieces onto the circle, then use scissors to trim evenly and cut out the center circle. Use a fine tip black marker to write “SS” at the top of the life preserver and then write your child’s name or family name on the bottom half (i.e. SS TIMMY, SS SMITH, etc).

Line the insides of the sails with glue, put some glue on the dowel as well where your sails will go. Sandwich the sails around the dowel and hold until the glue grabs.

Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also the editor for the Home & Garden channel at Craft Gossip and owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com.

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